The Players Tribune is cleaning up Clipper offseason controversy well enough. In an article entitled "Facts Only," Josh Smith explains what he was talking about in that quote that has crossed many national media outlets. Spoilers: (though I doubt you'll need them) He was talking about his family. While we put 2 and 2 together earlier, it's nice to hear from Smith himself. In that article, Smith says:
The whole thing about it being “harder on me” comes down to family. It seems obvious to me, but maybe I could have said it more clearly.